Torch possibly dying

[Ryan9316]

Hey guys, I've had this torch two weeks, tank is about a year old. I think my blood shrimp has been messing with it, thinking it has food. Does the skeleton look bad or is it ok?

Tank parameters are
9.1 alk
400ca
1380mg
Nitrate 20
phosphate .2ish
salinity 1.026

Thanks

 

[DarthSimon]

Do you have a photo of this dragon soul open during the day?
The tissue on side looks good leading up to the skeleton. It just looks mostly closed up in the above photo, are lights out in that photo?

 

[Spare time]

I think its ok. Consider higher calcium. A higher alk will also help it grow faster (10-12kh). Make sure you don't swing parameters too much r they can get grumpy. Does it look like this during the day too?

 

[Ryan9316]

It's an Indo Gold, yes here it was two days ago.

 

[DarthSimon]

It looks good in that photo.

 

[Ryan9316]

Yea, I have just read if they start doing badly they tend to go downhill fast.

 

[DarthSimon]

Also you want to get your phosphates down. I find that when my Phosphates go over around .12, some of my torches don’t open as full. Feeding your Torch can also help big time.

 

[Ryan9316]

I have been feeding it, 1-2 pellets every couple days, I'm running rowaphos, I can increase it a little. But your advise to just leave it be?

 

[DarthSimon]

Try spot feeding it some Reef Roids or Mysid and see if it pulls the food in.
If your not seeing any tissue receding or polyp bailout, I would leave it alone. What kind of lighting do you have on it? Par level?

 

[DarthSimon]

How does the flesh on side of skeleton look during the day when your peak intensity is on?

 

[Ryan9316]

It took a couple pellets today, it's probably at about 120 par, the flesh looked fine today.

 

[DarthSimon]

Here is a decent example of healthy looking torch with flesh fully open on sides.

 

[DarthSimon]

It took a couple pellets today, it's probably at about 120 par, the flesh looked fine today.

Oh then you should be fine. I find my torches do best 150-190 range.

Here’s some of my torches:

 

[Ryan9316]

Wow, yes they all look pretty happy, I recently moved it into a higher par area with less flow, so maybe it's grumpy because of that, I'll see how it look tomorrow.

 

[DarthSimon]

You just moved it? So with torches I find when they are moved, most of them get stressed and won’t open fully. It can takes days or even weeks to see the full potential. I would say minimum of 1-3 days until open, and then 2-4 weeks until fully open.

 

[Ryan9316]

Yes, I had to move it, it was being harassed by my blood shrimp. I would drop pellets to the torch and it would jump on it trying to get them, and even when I wasn't feeding it would jump on it looking for food.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

Yes, I had to move it, it was being harassed by my blood shrimp. I would drop pellets to the torch and it would jump on it trying to get them, and even when I wasn't feeding it would jump on it looking for food.

I used to LOVE shrimps now I hate them for that reason.